A day to just relax: Take a Soldier Fishing 'our way of saying thank you' to those who fight for us

SCOTT CLAIR

3:24 PM, Sep 18, 2013

It was a Star Spangled day at Bayfront Paza for the Take a Soldier Fishing Tournament. The event hoped to raise close to $50,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project.
Taylor Loyd/Special to the Citizen

Above and beyond is the level of duty provided to our nation by the service men and women of the United States.

Above and beyond is the same description that can be applied to the Naples community, organizers and volunteers who produced the fourth annual Take a Soldier Fishing tournament (TASF) on Saturday at Bayfront Plaza in downtown Naples.

More than 120 active military personnel based out of MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa and representing all branches of the armed services were feted at the two-day event.

Soldiers arrived here by chartered buses on Friday morning, treated to a day of golf and a two-day stay at the Quality Inn and Suites. On Saturday, nearly 60 fishing guides donated their time and services to take the troops out for a day of fishing.

"This is one of the most emotional tournaments, along with the Gene Doyle, that I've participated in," said local fishing great Troy Pruitt, who guided Clay Schumaker and Luis Gonzalez to first place in the backwater division.

The emotion Pruitt referred to arose from the start of the event on Saturday morning, just as the sun was rising over Naples Bay.

The soldiers' buses received a police escort from their hotel to Bayfront. Before heading out, the national anthem was sung.

"It was so quiet," Pruitt said. "And then everybody started hollering."

Nearly 60 boats, all carrying the American flag, headed out to sea.

"This is the first time ever I've been fishing or golfing," said U.S. Air Force Sergeant Jasmine McKinney, 24, of Clarksville, Tenn. "It's absolutely amazing that we have people sponsor us and take such good care of us. The military can be very stressful at times, so this was a great experience. It was awesome."

Boats started returning around 2 p.m. with their catches. The fish were weighed. The team with the heaviest got to sit in the "Hot Seat" until their load was bettered.

In the end, James and Henry Irwin, brothers enlisted in the Air Force, took home the offshore top honors, guided by Capt. Kevin Johnson.

All the troops were greeted by Marine Lance Corporal John Thomas Doody once they returned with their fish. Doody, confined to a wheelchair, was shot three times in the leg while serving in Iraq in 2007.

However, it was an infection from the bullets which affected Doody's aorta and caused a debilitating anoxic brain injury.

Though there was rivalry among the different branches present, it was all in good nature.

"We're all different branches," said McKinney, "but we're still about one mission."

Afterward, a banquet honoring the troops was held at the Olde Cypress Country Club on Immokalee Road.

Fishing boats returned to Bayfront in the afternoon, when an unofficial weigh-in of catches determined a winning team. More than 150 local businesses and organizations sponsored the event.

The event was an idea borne out of small talk amongst friends of former Collier County Sheriff's Office deputy and TASF Director Steve Loyd and his wife, Jaimie, a few years ago.

It has blossomed into an increasingly larger event. This year's goal was to raise $50,000 for the Wounded Warriors Project — an organization that aides in the medical care of soldiers injured in combat, and one that has helped Doody and his family during his recovery.

In comparison, last year's event, held at the Calusa Island Yacht Club in Goodland, raised $2,000 and had about 40 boats competing. Organizers see the event growing even more next year.

"A lot of these folks, when they leave, they get redeployed," Steve Loyd said. "We're able to live in paradise because of their efforts over there. There's no way we're going to stop. This tournament is too important to our community. It's our way of saying ‘Thank you.'"